


They are Among Us!

by Jaal_Ama_Darav



Category: Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons)
Genre: Horror, Nightmare Fuel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-17 07:28:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29221716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaal_Ama_Darav/pseuds/Jaal_Ama_Darav
Summary: One night, a man discovers a horrific alien invasion plot…





	They are Among Us!

**Author's Note:**

> A little trivia- while I am not a major Justice League fan, I do like some of the characters like Wonder Woman. And there's one menace that gave me nightmares as a kid- the Imperium. The foot-soldiers namely, the way they look, shape-shifting, etc...*shiver and shudder*. They give me the creeps to this day!
> 
> And wanted to...give nightmare fuel out too! Muwhahahahahahaha!
> 
> Hope you enjoy...and beware!
> 
> Takes place around the time of Justice League animated series (2001-2004) Secret Origins.

Even in the late hours of the night, Metropolis bustled with activity.

In the Daily Planet office skyscraper building, on the fourth floor, Aifric Sukumu sat in front of his computer at his work desk.

_Just a few more hours of overtime, and I'll be free for the weekend._ His jet black hair was neatly combed over and matched his eyebrows though contrasted against his fair skin, stress wrinkles creased his forehead, and his azure eyes were protected by his specialized glasses which shielded against the blue light of the computer. The quiet click-clacks of the computer keyboard when he pressed the keys sounded through the silence, his co-workers were nearby doing one form of work or another on their own computers.

He was dressed in a neat well cared-for black suit with a red shirt underneath and a red tie over it. His white socks were mostly covered by his black pants and his shiny shoes matched the suit in neatness.

His eyes read over an article on some strange happenings around the city. _Hmmm...strange. Abductions. Mysterious sounds on the other side of locked doors. People talking in languages not of the Earth. And many think it is drug or sleep-deprivation induced hallucinations. That many people couldn't suffer those symptoms in a short amount of time._ With the computer mouse, he sent the article to his 'needs more investigating' folder. _Have to look it over, investigate this, before I consider it for the newspaper._

He paused to reach for his chopsticks, and with them picked up a mini rice cake, and put it in his mouth. He chewed slowly, savoring the sweet flavor, and placed the chopsticks back on the desk.

Hand food wasn't allowed in the office for the keyboards would get sticky. But one way around the restriction was utensils or in Aifric's case, chopsticks, also handy in cases where forks would be more difficult to use.

A voice, his friend Addison, called; slightly above a whisper. "Hey, Aifric."

Aifric swallowed the rice cake and turned to his right, leaning back slightly to see around the divider. His friend was dressed in the same work required attire; his skin tone was brown, his eyes green, and his black hair was graying slightly. Aifric kept his own voice slightly above a whisper to not disturb the other co-workers. "Need something?"

Addison glanced at his computer then back to him. "Have you heard of the strange going ons around here? Sounds like something's up."

Aifric nodded. "I've been tasked with looking into it. Sure sounds like something is up. But with all the heroes, I imagine they will get on the case soon."

Addison sighed quietly. "I sure hope so. Sounds like something straight out of Invasion of the Body Snatchers or The Thing, or something close enough."

Aifric's eyes widened slightly for a moment. "That would be trouble even for heroes."

"Indeed." He turned back to his computer. "Gotta get back to work or we'll be here all night."

"Same here." Aifric turned his attention to his own screen. _He's right._ He found another article of interest in a soon enough time-frame, and quietly read the words mentally. _This is creepy. Teen's parents behaving strangely._ _Speaking in an alien language. Alien pods with their parents inside looking chalk white._ He continued reading, shivers ran down his spine and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. _What the hell?!_ He quickly placed the article into the same folder as the last. _Some weird freaky shit is going down around here!_

A feminine voice belonging to his platonic girlfriend Esmée, came from his left. "Have a minute?"

Aifric sighed quietly, leaning back and turning to his left. Esmée was dressed in the same attire, her skin tone was black, and she had red hair and blue eyes; and was one of the youngest in the office. "Yes, need a little break. Those articles are getting freaky."

Esmée saw the scared expression in his face. "Guess they have you looking into the strange things that've been happening here?"

Aifric nodded slightly. "Yes. Scary stuff."

Esmée sighed. "I can imagine so. Have only read a little and it's creepy." She paused. "To take our minds off of it, what do you plan on doing for the weekend?"

Aifric closed his eyes for a moment. "Planning on writing, my art basically. Almost have a project finished. And watching some movies. Not going to watch any horror movies at night, would be too scary. I am way too chicken to try watching them at night with the lights off."

"Understandable." Esmée paused. "I'll be hanging with friends over the weekend. Should be fine as long as we keep a lookout for suspicious activity. And I am sure the heroes will be putting a stop to it soon, its been getting worse in the last few days I heard."

Aifric sighed. "Keep hearing the same too." He glanced at his computer, then his snack. "Going to take a restroom break. Can you keep an eye on my snack please, don't want someone helping themselves to it."

Esmée smiled. "That will be no problem, almost done with my work anyway."

Aifric stood up. "Thank you." He walked to the door leading to the hallway, opened it, and left the room. He quietly closed it behind himself and headed down the carpet floor hall.

He continued walking down the hall, turned a corner, and approached the door to the bathroom. Before he entered, he saw two men walk to and open a door, their backs to him. _What would they be doing here_ _at this time of night in that room? It's only for meetings of utmost importance._ _Gotta check it out soon._ He entered the bathroom.

* * *

Aifric had done his business, washed his hands then his face, and was now drying his face with a paper towel. _Time to be brave and check that room._ He threw the paper towel into the recycling bin, exited the bathroom and closed the door quietly behind him, and sneaked down the hall. He thanked the fact the floor was carpet, and approached the door he saw the two men enter earlier.

He saw the sign on the door. 'Janitor's Office'. _That's not right...I know this room is a meeting room!_

He leaned up against it, and pressed his ear to the door. And heard faint strange squishing sounds, gurgles, and the faint sound of people speaking in a strange language which sent shivers down his spine and made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. _What the hell?!_

He quietly reached into his pocket in the side of his pants, and drew his chopstick container out of it, his spare chopsticks. He took out one, and inserted it into the lock hole. With a little fiddling, it came unlocked. _Just takes patience, not a high security room anyone would really lock-pick for there was_ _nothing of value inside._ He put his chopstick back into the container, and placed it into his pocket.

He opened the door slowly and gasped in shock.

Strange red pods were arranged in rows in the room, ten across and ten deep. They were crisscrossed by some kind of gray organic-looking threads, and connected to the floor and ceiling by similar black and red threads; with trails leading away from the pods almost like tubes into another room.

He walked inside, looking around the room. There was some kind of black and red material covering the right wall, and no one except himself walking around. He observed the pods and what was inside.

_Shit._ There were people inside, motionless, but judging from the bubbles coming from their mouths in the fluid were somehow still breathing.

He recognized some of his co-workers, and some that he saw just minutes ago in the office. _What's going on?! Is this some 'abduct and replace' alien invasion plot?!_

He continued past the first two rows, to the second set, and quietly gasped.

The individuals, while he didn't recognize them, had areas of chalk whiteness on the skin. And the clothing appeared to be slowly being eaten away by the fluid. _I really hope this is not what I think it is…_

He moved to the next two rows and froze in fear.

The people inside were almost completely chalk white, with the clothing pretty much dissolved.

His stomach churned and he nearly heaved, he took a moment to calm himself down. _No...I really hate where this is going...but I have to...and warn the others!_ He continued forward, hands rubbing his arms which were full of goosebumps.

The last two of the four rows at the back made him shiver.

The people were not only chalk white, clothing dissolved, they had black and gray spots covering their bodies. _No...no...no._ He continued to the back two rows. _Please...don't let it be…_

The people in the back two rows started twitching and convulsing.

Aifric stepped back, frozen stiff in terror.

Their bodies contorted and shifted shape, along with their arms. While they retained a general humanoid shape, their hands shifted and morphed into hands with two fingers and a thumb each. Their feet morphed into a shape appearing like they were wearing shoes but were melded with the body. And their faces became faceless with the only thing that could even pass as part of a face were some red 'eyes' in the face area that were not arranged anywhere near how Human eyes were.

Soon the tremors stopped, and one of them tore the pod open, now a monstrosity. The others soon did the same, now monsters as well.

Aifric whimpered, and screamed in absolute unbridled terror before spinning around to the door.

A voice came from a now open hole in the black material. "Capture him!"

Aifric ran for the door swiftly, opened the door with speed, and dashed down the hall and turned the corner. "Someone help! Please! They're among us! They're among us!" He was panting, sweating, and frantically looking back as the creatures rounded the corner he ran around.

He reached the door to the office he worked in, ripped it open, ran inside, and shut the door with his back against it. "They are among us!" He was hyperventilating.

The door shook with blows and a horrible sound he couldn't identify.

Esmée stood up first. "Aifric, what's among us?!"

Addison stood up next. "Did you see some-?" He reacted to a hand on his shoulder, then his face, and screamed.

A fellow co-worker had grabbed him from behind, hand over his mouth. He spoke in a tone that sent shivers down Aifric's spine. "You talk too much."

Esmée spun on him, now in a fighting stance. "Hey! Let him go!"

The co-worker looked at her, eyes now glowing red. "Capture her, and Aifric before they warn the others!"

Esmée fully assumed a material arts fighting pose, and roundhouse kicked a co-worker who had attempted to grab her from behind, sending him flying into a wall with a squishy thud. "No bones? What Human has no bones?!"

The door stopped shaking, and the footsteps of the creatures receded.

The co-worker who was roundhouse kicked stood back up, chuckling, like the kick did nothing. "We're not Human, we're a superior species who will one day rule the universe!"

Thudding was heard in the ducts. And a vent on the ceiling was knocked away, landing on the floor with a thud.

The white ones Aifric saw earlier dropped out, two of them.

Esmée maintained her fighting stance. "Run and warn everyone!"

Aifric got his wits back partially. "On it!" He pushed the door open and ran.

He heard her fighting grunts, before she screamed in terror.

Aifric reached the staircase, opened the door, and ran down the stairs. He heard running footsteps behind him. "I need to warn the people! Need to warn them! They're among us! They're going to get us all!"

He saw more of the monsters through the glass of the doors leading to the third and second floors. "They're everywhere! They're everywhere! They took everyone! Someone! Please! Help me!" He yanked the door open leading to the first floor and dashed out onto the entrance hall of the skyscraper. The exit was ahead. "Let me make it! Let me make it! Let me make it!" He was now a dozen steps away.

Something ran into him from the side, grabbing him, and sending him and whatever it was to the floor rolling.

When he blinked away the stars, he saw the red eyes of one of the disguised monsters. "No! No! No!" He thrashed, kicked, did all he could to escape to no avail. "Please! Let me go! Please! No! No! No!" He was picked up, his torso and arms bound. And another of the disguised monsters held his legs, he was soon being taken to the stairwell.

Aifric screamed in terror, tears streaming from his eyes, and thrashed until he became too exhausted to do so. He could only whimper while they brought him to the room full of pods, entered, and took him to an empty pod.

Aifric feebly thrashed while they forcibly put him on the floor on his knees and the black material on the floor bound him in place.

One of the white monsters approached and put its hand on his forehead, a touch so slimy and revolting the man shivered and shuddered. He screamed out loud while he felt his memories being tapped into, and saw the creature change into a duplication of him.

Soon after, Aifric passed out.

* * *

Everything was a haze and darkness. _Where am I?_ Aifric opened his eyes.

He saw he was inside one of the liquid filled pods. He put his hands on the side, banged on it, and screamed. "Someone! Please! Help! Help me! Please! Help!" But only bubbles escaped his mouth.

He screamed again in despair, banging on the pod's side even harder, hurting his hand. "Someone! Please! Let me out! I don't want to be one of those things! Please! Someone! Anyone! Help!" He kept trying to scream and banging until his strength failed him. Tears leaked into the fluid, memories going through his life while despair consumed him at the awful finality of his fate.

Only the monsters saw and heard him.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N- Feedback is appreciated!
> 
> As for the names and where they came from-
> 
> 'Aifric', the first name I gave to the main character, is Irish and Scottish. It possibly means 'pleasant' in Irish.
> 
> The surname I gave to the main character-'Sukumu' , I felt it fit well with what this story was. It can mean, among other things- to freeze (from fear, etc.); to be unable to move; to be paralyzed (with horror, etc)' to cower; to shrink in on oneself. Fits perfectly with the horror the main character discovers!
> 
> 'Esmée' is a British and Dutch name. It is the feminine form of Esmé. It means 'esteemed' or 'loved' in Old French.
> 
> 'Addison' is from an English surname meaning 'son of Adam'.
> 
> I used a names website to find the names, and used a Japanese words website for the main character's surname, have used it a lot for Naruto.


End file.
